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Bombs will deepen Iraq's nightmare
The Guardian ^ | Tuesday September 17, 2002 | Haifa Zangana

Posted on 09/17/2002 10:40:57 AM PDT by vannrox

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Bombs will deepen Iraq's nightmare

This war plan forces me to stand by the dictator who tortured me

Haifa Zangana

Tuesday September 17, 2002

The Guardian

I am an Iraqi British woman (half-Kurdish, half-Arab). I have lived in Britain since 1976. I can't go back to Iraq because, like many Iraqis, I was imprisoned and tortured. When I was released I was haunted by human howls of pain and memories of the dead.

Once in London, I could hardly believe I was safe in a democratic country. The day that I first exercised my right to vote was one of the happiest of my life. On election day 1979, I was up at 5am. I was the first to vote that day. I voted Labour. The Conservatives won.

The massacre of Halabja in 1988 went unnoticed here. Iraq was then the darling of the west. Iraq fought the west's war with Iran, to protect their interests and ensure a free market for oil. But this was Mrs Thatcher's government, which supported friendly dictators and normalised relations with military regimes.

In 1990, the Iraqi regime occupied Kuwait, and the US and UK decided Saddam had breached his contract of employment. In January 1991, hell was unleashed against the Iraqi people. The bombing lasted 43 days, destroyed many civilian targets and massacred tens of thousands of defenceless conscripts. Iraqis were shocked and confused: it seemed bizarre to punish them for the crimes of their persecutors.

Confusion turned to numbness when people discovered they were to be subject to one of the most comprehensive campaigns of economic sanctions in modern history. On December 6 1995, I sent an A4 padded envelope to my nieces and nephews in Mosul. It contained one pencil case, three erasers, three sharpeners, six fountain pens, two markers, one glue-stick and two Biros. It was marked "gift for children". The envelope was returned, stamped: "Due to international sanctions against Iraq, we are not able to forward your packet." But that was under John Major.

In 1997, the Labour party was at last elected, and Robin Cook declared the government's foreign policy to be "ethical". I applauded. But what has the restoration of hope brought? Continuing sanctions, for a start, which has meant starvation, death and intellectual stagnation. The bombing of Iraq has never stopped either. The USAF and RAF have been bombing civilians almost daily since December 1998; 144 civilians were killed in raids in 1999 alone. For the rest, life in Iraq goes on, as hard as ever.

Here are some paragraphs from two personal letters. The first, from a relative: "We women spend most of our time doing what our grandmothers used to do: we are staying home, sieving flour, baking bread, preparing and storing tomato puree and raising chickens."

The next, from a friend: "Let me share a laugh with you. As Selma, my wife, was being wheeled out of the operating theatre, the doctor handed me two things: a long prescription and, what else, do you think? Selma's uterus! I had to go find the medicine as soon as possible, and also to take the uterus to a private lab for a biopsy. It was the start of a 20-hour madman's journey around Baghdad."

So how do I now find myself standing by Iraq's dictatorial regime, while Tony Blair presents himself as the defender of both democracy and the Iraqi people? For decades, it was the other way around. Iraqis were not only resisting the oppressive regime, they were sacrificing their lives for change long before the occupation of Kuwait. They appealed for help from western governments. Their request was: stop supplying the Ba'ath regime with weapons. Nobody listened.

It's 2001: election time again. I hesitated, but still voted Labour. What choice did I have? Now the US is pushing for a massive assault on Iraq, and Blair is one of the few leaders willing to offer troops. Can it be true that the man I voted for is now preparing to "liberate" Iraq, in the same way he liberated Afghanistan, by ensuring the death of thousands of civilians? Is it true that he is relying on the Iraqi National Congress, a group set up in the early 90s with CIA help, and now funded by the State Department? Does he know that they are loathed by most Iraqis?

You are "either with us or against us", they say. As an Iraqi that means choosing between war and the dictator. To be on the side of the oppressed does not mean we are unaware of the complexity of the situation. To campaign for the lifting of sanctions, for an end to the paralysing bombardment and daily threat of war is to stand by the Iraqi people; it is that policy which will help them to change the oppressive regime. Any change should be initiated from within Iraq, not imposed by Bush or Blair.

When I hear Tony Blair speak on Iraq, I am reminded of my old landlady, who asked me, politely, in the late 1970s, about home. I explained a little about the government there and how it doesn't give a damn about people. She listened attentively then, in a nice, gentle way, said: "Next time, don't vote for him dear."

· Haifa Zangana is a novelist and painter.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 911; hate; inspection; iraq; islam; muslim; nuclear; terror; uk; war; wtc
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Stooge for Saddam?
1 posted on 09/17/2002 10:40:57 AM PDT by vannrox
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To: vannrox
I have lived in Britain since 1976.

No offense, but we'd rather hear from someone who hasn't been reading the Guardian for 26 years.

2 posted on 09/17/2002 10:44:49 AM PDT by What Is Ain't
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To: vannrox
I was the first to vote that day. I voted Labour. The Conservatives won.

Is that the year Maggie took over?

3 posted on 09/17/2002 10:46:32 AM PDT by krb
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To: vannrox
Stooge for Saddam?

Perhaps unknowingly.

Walt

4 posted on 09/17/2002 10:46:34 AM PDT by WhiskeyPapa
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To: vannrox
Communist or at the least hard leftist. ("Novelist, painter", voted Labor in the 80's, i.e. against Margaret Thatcher, etc.) Not surprising that, given a choice between a fascist dictator who tortured him, and the evil capitalist West, a communist would choose Saddam. After all German communists were crucial to the Nazis' takeover of power in 1932, viewing this as the better alternative to the "social fascists" of the democratic centrist parties. The rest of what this guy has to say is window dressing.
5 posted on 09/17/2002 10:48:37 AM PDT by Argus
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To: vannrox
You forgot the BARF ALERT.


6 posted on 09/17/2002 10:48:48 AM PDT by Alouette
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To: vannrox
And where are the thousands of innocent Afghans that we killed? Yes some were killed, none were targets and until the counts equal that which we lost on 9/11 (add Daniel Pearl to that list), don't even talk to me.
7 posted on 09/17/2002 10:52:18 AM PDT by netmilsmom
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To: vannrox
To campaign for the lifting of sanctions, for an end to the paralysing bombardment and daily threat of war is to stand by the Iraqi people; it is that policy which will help them to change the oppressive regime.

The Iraqis have had quite a long while to try to change their regime from the inside. No luck so far. Hussein in a threat to the outside world. Now the outside world will have a go at changing "the oppressive regime". Since that change is this woman's stated goal, I'm sure she won't mind.

8 posted on 09/17/2002 10:57:59 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: vannrox
The bombing lasted 43 days, destroyed many civilian targets and massacred tens of thousands of defenceless conscripts. Iraqis were shocked and confused: it seemed bizarre to punish them for the crimes of their persecutors.

Uh, lady, those "defenceless conscripts" did have guns and had invaded a neigboring country.

What a twit.

9 posted on 09/17/2002 10:59:02 AM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: vannrox
"This war plan forces me to stand by the dictator who tortured me"

Deep, deep insanity. These people are absolutely determined to be miserable no matter what happens. The commie/lib mind set; guilt.
10 posted on 09/17/2002 11:15:36 AM PDT by jwh_Denver
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To: vannrox
"...my right to vote was one of my happiest day...." If this pitifull "human being" represents an average iraq, it is no surprise saddam became their dictator. This iraqi thinks Freedom is free, free for the taking at no cost. She of course had no idea, or refuse to beleive that tens of thousands of British citizens gave up thier lives to preserve thier freedom from hitler. Again this is not surprising, because she got her Freedom for free by just moving to GB, well maybe the cost of an airfare, what a bargain. She apparently got used to better. If she continues to think Freedom is free, she woun't have it for too long, saddam will follow her right into Westminster Abby.
11 posted on 09/17/2002 11:20:35 AM PDT by desertcry
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To: vannrox
I voted Labour. The Conservatives won.

If this was her first free political act, government torture and abuse didn't teach her much, did it?

12 posted on 09/17/2002 12:06:35 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: vannrox
I am telling you. It will not be long before there are enough of these people to start voting themselves into power in Britian....And soon after, it won't be long until, best case scenario, you have an unstable democracy like Turkey-with a bunch of looney tune extremist trying to seize power. Britian, you need to get a handle on your immigration.
13 posted on 09/17/2002 12:16:53 PM PDT by riri
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To: vannrox
So how do I now find myself standing by Iraq's dictatorial regime, while Tony Blair presents himself as the defender of both democracy and the Iraqi people?

Because, even though you've chosen the west as your physical home with all the material benefits inherent therein, like so many other transplants in the west your heart is still with the despots back home.

If you had the courage of your convictions you would show your solidarity with your Iraqi countrymen by returning home immediately. Of course you will not.

14 posted on 09/17/2002 12:23:02 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: What Is Ain't
If she's lived in England since 1976, how come she claims that Saddam "tortured" her given that he took power in 1979?

What a load of pro-Iraqi Bullsh*t propaganda.
15 posted on 09/17/2002 3:02:05 PM PDT by Burr5
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To: vannrox
Haifa Zangana is a novelist and painter.

They left out "idiot".

16 posted on 09/17/2002 3:08:46 PM PDT by mgstarr
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To: vannrox; Marine Inspector; sleavelessinseattle; 2Trievers; swarthyguy; Lazamataz; Snow Bunny; ...
Barf Alert Ping.

Lets see now. As best I can recall, 99% of all weapons supplied to Saddam's regime came from the former Soviet Union and France (we sold him a couple of helicopters and a few sat photos of Iran).

The war against Iran was Saddams war alone when he decided to grab some disputed territory along the border. Used the same excuse he used for the invasion of Kuwait - that the lands were historically Iraq's. Saddam used chemical weapons in that war. He figured he could get away with it because no one like Iran, and mostly he was right.

As for the rest of the claptrap this moron spews, it's not even worth the effort to refute.

17 posted on 09/17/2002 3:37:39 PM PDT by PsyOp
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To: PsyOp
It's going to be a joyous scene of liberation. Interview this stooge after that.
18 posted on 09/17/2002 3:43:54 PM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: Travis McGee
"Interview this stooge after that."

Its hard for me to imagine anyone being that detached from reality.
19 posted on 09/17/2002 4:01:57 PM PDT by PsyOp
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To: vannrox
kill the wabbit
20 posted on 09/17/2002 4:23:35 PM PDT by ScholarWarrior
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